Designed to test and validate a lightning sensor set for launch into geostationary orbit in November, a set of sensor "eyes" is nearing completion in labs at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.
These sensor eyes, however, are cross-eyed.
The Fly's Eye GLM Simulator (FEGS) was conceived to be much like a fly's compound eye, with sensors in the middle looking down and those nearer the edges looking farther out. That would allow the sensors to see lightning anywhere beneath the high-flying NASA aircraft carrying the instrument package far above a storm.
Then it was found the aircraft window the sensors will see through is only 16 inches across, much smaller than the instrument. It was time for plan B.
"We had to design it so the sensors in each corner look across through the window at the opposite corner," explained Mason Quick, a NASA post-doc working on the project in the lightning group of UAH's Earth System Science Center. "Then, when we collect the data, we will have to flip the pieces to put together an image that makes sense."Source

South Australia battered by lightning, high winds (30/9/2016)

South Australia is being lashed by lighting strikes, heavy rain and high winds that have knocked out power to city of Adelaide and surrounding rural areas.
About 80,000 lightning strikes have been recorded during the severe weather, hitting electrical plants, while wind knocked down at least 20 transmission towers.
State Premier Jay Weatherill compared the storm to 2012's Hurricane Sandy.
South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens urged the public to leave work early, to avoid the congestion and being caught in the weather.
About 100 schools remain closed as tens of thousands remain without power in many areas.
Between to three inches of rain could be dumped on the state over the next 24 hours with Weatherill declaring it an "unprecedented weather event."
Source

lightning strike kills 2 farmers in India (27/9/2016)

Two farmers were killed after lightning struck them at Khairadohar village within the limits of Naudihabazar Police station of Palamau district today, officials said.
The victims, identified as Putai Yadav (36) and Tulsi Viswakarma (40), were working in the field when rain accompanied by thunderbolt struck the area, officials said.
Both victims ran to take shelter under a tree, but were struck by lightning and were killed on the spot, they said.
The bodies have been sent to Sadar Hospital, Medininagar for post-mortem.
The Deputy Commissioner of Palamau, Amit Kumar has assured to provide compensation as per government provisions.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Source

Russian player dies after lightning strike (22/9/2016)

An 18-year-old footballer has tragically died after lightning hit a set of metal goalposts during a local competition game in the Russian city of Rubtsovsk.
Russian authorities confirmed the teenager, who has not been named, died during a game involving teams of students on Wednesday in the Siberian town.
Three others were also injured after players from both teams were crowded in the penalty area when lightning hit the nearby set of metal goalposts.
Investigators said the 18-year-old "died at the scene" and the three injured players required medical treatment, without providing further details of their condition.
Source

French, U.S. lightning bolts deemed to be world’s longest (17/9/2016)

Researchers have identified lightning bolts in Oklahoma and France as the longest on record and warn that their discovery could alter traditional thinking of when it is safe to go outside after a storm passes.
A 2007 storm in Oklahoma produced a lightning bolt nearly 200 miles (320 km) long. A 2012 storm in southern France produced a single flash that lasted 7.74 seconds. Both events were added Wednesday to a list of weather extremes kept by the World Meteorological Organization.
“We should be more aware of lightning if we can have lightning that can travel 200 miles,” said Randy Cerveny, the WMO’s spokesman on weather and climate extremes. “If thunder roars, go indoors.”
Timothy Lang, a researcher at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said the record Oklahoma lightning bolt streaked from Tulsa, near the Arkansas border, to near the Oklahoma Panhandle. The bolt started at an altitude of 6 miles (9.6 km) and reached the ground in a number of places, he said.
A researcher in Colorado saw the streak, and Lang said its length could change thinking about safety after a storm.
“The lightning can start tens or hundreds of miles away and then come back to where you are,” Lang said. “You have to be careful of where the lightning is coming to ground, even though the storm is past.”
Meteorologists generally suggest a “30-30” rule when storms are near. Start counting when you see a lightning bolt. If you reach 30 seconds before hearing the thunder, it is generally safe to continue outdoor activities. If thunder is heard in under 30 seconds, stop outdoor activities and wait 30 minutes before resuming.
“These kinds of rules need to be looked at. It’s going to depend on the kind of thunderstorm,” Lang said. “You really need to know where it (lightning) is occurring. There could be a lower risk — the lower the flash rate — but it’s not ‘no-risk.’ “
Cerveny said not all storms will have lightning as extreme as the Oklahoma and French storms.
The Oklahoma storm was in a particularly large complex of bad weather that occurred very early on June 20, 2007. Lightning sensors on the ground tracked the bolt’s path.
“Most lightning will strike within the 30-30 rule,” he said. “The 30-30 rule is one that we still want to stress and make sure people are aware of … but it does demonstrate that lightning can hit far from where the storm actually is.”
The Oklahoma flash lasted a bit more than five seconds, while the French bolt doubled back on itself, extending its life to 7.74 seconds, said Cerveny, a professor of geographic sciences at Arizona State University.
The aerospace industry has an interest in lightning because it can endanger people on airplanes in flight, while meteorologists can use spikes in lightning to judge a storm’s severity, Lang said. “Oklahoma is a good place to study storms like this.”Source

Summer goes out with a bang in the UK (17/9/2016)

Britain has woken up to flash flooding, thunder and lightning as stormy weather lashes much of the country – dumping almost half a month's rain in a few hours and bringing an abrupt end to the September heatwave.
Roads and properties have been hit by severe flooding in parts of central London, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Hertfordshire and Greater London after a band of torrential rain moved in from the Channel overnight.
Dramatic pictures show cars submerged in floodwater, Tube stations flooded and lightning bolts over the capital.
And it may be a miserable journey home after a rainy day in the capital as flooding threatens to give commuters a disappointing start to the weekend.
Delays of up to an hour are affecting trains from London Euston to Milton Keynes after a landslide derailed a train between Watford Junction and Kings Langley, causing major disruption and scores of cancellations for travellers trying to get from London Euston to the Midlands and the North.
Hundreds of passengers were trapped on the two stricken trains for more than four hours this morning.
The delays are expected to last until the end of the day.
Up to two ft of flood water at Didcot Parkway and Newbury stations in Oxfordshire caused travel chaos. The deluge flooded the underpass at Didcot, meaning only one platform could be used.
Lines at Newbury were submerged by the water preventing services from stopping until one platform operated a reduced service in the afternoon.
The bad weather could continue into Saturday, compounding affected areas further, the environment agency warned.
Water submerged stretches of motorway including on the M4 and M25, where two lorries crashed at around 5.20am.
It was hoped the anticlockwise carriageway of the M25 and the M4 at junction eight would be fully open 'before tonight's peak period, unless weather conditions change again,' said a Highways England spokeswoman.
Trains from Paddington and Euston are delayed and passengers trying to catch flights from Heathrow have allegedly been told not to try to get to the airport today, but that their tickets would be valid tomorrow.
The stormy conditions bring a sudden end to the record-breaking heatwave in Britain which saw temperatures climb to 30C again yesterday - making it the third successive September day that temperatures soared that high.
The mercury plummeted by more than 10C overnight as forecasters issued a string of severe weather warnings.
Commuters are now facing transport chaos after the flash flooding caused problems on the nation's roads - including on the M25, M4 and M40 - as well as on the rail network where 'several incidents' are causing delays
Four people - two drivers and two passengers, one of whom was pregnant - suffered minor injuries in the crash, which saw the 6.19am service from Milton Keynes derail after hitting the landslide just north of Watford Junction.
Another train travelling in the opposite direction 'gave a glancing blow' to the derailed train, Network Rail said.
It left the two London Midland trains 'leaning against one another' as emergency crews desperately worked to evacuate the some 400 passengers stuck on board.
Around 100,000 could be in line for a refund after the dramatic incident on the early morning service.
Any passenger delayed between 30 minutes and one hour on a London Midlands route is eligible to claim 50 per cent of a single ticket or 35 per cent of a return ticket and a proportion of a season ticket.
Virgin Trains automatically refund anyone who booked through their website if they are delayed by more than 30 minutes.
The train operators will not be footing the bill, however.
Owen Johns, spokesman for Network Rail, said: 'Network Rail pays compensation to train operators when delays are caused by infrastructure issues, including weather, landslips, signalling problems and people under trains.
'Although this delay was not caused by Network Rail, anything caused by the weather is a Network Rail issue. We cover delay repayment for anything not caused by the train operators themselves.
'The train companies pay delayed passengers compensation directly but yes, the money comes from us, we pay them back.
'As Network Rail is an external government body, the money does come from the taxpayer.'
Jake Steers, who was on board the first train at the time of the landslide, described his relief that they were inside the tunnel at the time - or 'there would have been casualties'.
He said: 'We were going through the tunnel, when the first carriage derailed and it all shuddered and the train shook violently.
'I didn't see the landslide as we were in the tunnel, then we crashed into the oncoming train slightly.
'I couldn't see the landslide just felt it hit us. It's quite worrying as I have been doing that commute for two and a half years. It would have a lot worse had we not been in the tunnel - there would have been casualties had they been going full speed.'
Both of the London Midland trains involved in the incident are 'still in situ', Network Rail said. Workers are assessing the best way to remove them from the tracks.
The passengers were allowed to get off the stricken trains at around 11am - four hours after the initial derailment and collision - and were ferried back to the nearby Kings Langley station in Hertfordshire on a Virgin train which was drafted in to help.
Speaking before they were rescued, passengers told of the their ordeal.
Chris Robertson said: 'Everyone is fine but we are in a tunnel with limited signal. Don't catch a train to Euston today, the line is shut.
'We hit a landslide and derailed clipping an oncoming train. Emergency services have arrived to get us off but are assessing what to do first.'
A Network Rail spokesman said: 'Both trains are still in situ and the rescue train is on route.
'The service that clipped the London Midlands train which derailed was travelling in the opposite direction.'
The incident is causing major delays to services in and out of London Euston with most journeys cancelled and those that are going ahead suffering delays of at least 60 minutes.
Martin Frobisher, route managing director for Network Rail, confirmed the 6.19am train hit a landslip caused by torrential rain, resulting in it leaving the tracks a few miles north of Watford. The train remained upright, he added.
'Engineers are on site and train services are now running through the area but it will be some time before a normal timetable resumes,' he said.
London Midland tweeted: 'Due to derailment this morning, there will be delays and cancellations. Ticket acceptance in place on other train operating companies.'
A spokesman added: 'The 06.19 service from Milton Keynes to Euston derailed just after 7am this morning at a tunnel near Watford Junction.
'It's at the busiest stretch of mixed railway in Europe and we are expecting delays and disruption until at least midday, but possibly longer. It affects London Midlands trains, Virgin and Southern. Services to the midlands, north west and Scotland will be affected.'
Initially, all four lines of the West Cost main line were closed at the scene, but two were reopened at around 8am.
Mr Frobisher added: 'Our priority is to fully reopen the railway as soon as it is safe to do so. A full investigation into what happened will take place.'
Pictures on social media also show severely waterlogged rail stations and roads, including Didcot Parkway, Newbury and Chieveley stations across Oxfordshire - which is causing further misery for rail passengers.
Water can be seen rising up stairwells and partly submerging ticket barriers at Didcot Parkway station.
Turnpike Lane and Manor House stations on the London Underground's Piccadilly line were closed early this morning but re-opened by around 6.30am, Transport for London (TfL) said.
Meanwhile, on the rail network, South West Trains said 'several incidents are disrupting' the network.
A spokesman said: 'A lightning strike has caused substantial damage to certain elements of our signalling equipment on the line which runs between Ascot and Guildford via Aldershot.
'Train services running through these stations may be delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.'
Flooding has also damaged equipment connected to a level crossing between Dorchester and Bournemouth, meaning they have to be manually controlled, with problems and delays set to go on until around 11am.
A 'large amount of infrastructure' at Woking has also been damaged by the water - with disruption and delays expected until the end of the day.
Train services are also severely disrupted between Stansted Airport, Cambridge, London Liverpool Street and Stratford.
A severely reduced service will run between Hertford East and London Liverpool Street after a lightning strike hit signalling equipment. Abellio Greater Anglia is now advising passengers not to travel.
A spokesman said: 'Due to the severity of the disruption [we] are advising you not to travel between Cambridge / Hertford East / Stansted Airport London Liverpool Street / Stratford. Your ticket will be valid on this route tomorrow.'
There is also disruption on the London Waterloo to Woking route, due to flooding, and on the Reading to London Paddington line after lightning strikes damaged signalling equipment.
Thames Valley Police said there was also disruption on roads with congestion on the M4 at the A34 junction with Newbury and on the M40 throughout the Thames Valley area.
Shocking video footage also shows a 'river of water' running down the M25 after it was hit by flash flooding. Cars can be seen driving through the foot-deep floodwater after it engulfed the motorway at J21a near Watford.
Many residents took to Twitter during the night to complain about being kept awake by the stormy conditions – which swept in after yet another day of balmy temperatures in the capital.
TV presenter Philip Schofield was among those awoken by the loud thunderstorm. He wrote: 'Holy CR*P!!! Thunder nearly blew us out of bed!!', alongside a series of 'laughing and thunderbolt emojis'.
Twitter user, Jay Virdee, said: Windsor at 3:45am #thunderstorms #lightning' before sharing a series of lightning bolt pictures. Another added: 'Crazy crazy storm outside right now. It sounds like the end of the world. Never heard anything like it.'
The weather front has sent temperatures tumbling ahead of the weekend, just days after parts of the country baked in 34C (93F) heat. Temperatures already dropped by 10C overnight and are expected to stay around 18C today.
A yellow warning of rain remains in place for much of England during today, rising to amber along a narrow corridor west of London where 'exceptionally heavy, thundery rain' accompanied by hail is expected.
The Environment Agency has also issued a series of flood warnings.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said it had been called to reports of a house struck by lightning near Woking, while crews worked to pump water out of flooded premises across the county.
Energy provider SSE said 1,273 homes across Basingstoke, Newbury, Reading and Bournemouth were left without power as a result of lightning.
Fire chiefs advised motorists to avoid driving through flooded roads and turn around as pictures emerged of Maidenhead High Street resembling a swimming pool.
Met Office meteorologist Martin Combe said 1.3inches (32.8mm) of rain had fallen in just three hours in Farnborough, Hampshire - half the 2.75inches (70mm) average for September.
He said: 'The storms are quite slow moving so it means the amounts are starting to build up over time, so we may get higher figures and localised flooding.
'The showers and thunderstorms are going to carry on for quite some time moving slowly north and eastwards, remaining around London through the morning and all afternoon in East Anglia.
'They will eventually clear off to the east, but it will be cool behind them. While it won't be any colder than average it is going to feel a lot cooler than it has been.'
Away from the storms, today will be a relatively cool and fresh day for the rest of the country with some sunshine.
London is expected to see a high of 21C (70F), Cardiff 18C (64F) and Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast 17C (63F).
Saturday and Sunday are expected to be similarly fresh, although a weather front will bring rain for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales on Sunday.
Source

Greater Manchester plunged into darkness as the great September storm brings lightning, thunder, rain and chaos (14/9/2016)

A violent storm battered Greater Manchester causing severe flooding and transport chaos.
The county was suddenly plunged into darkness around 6pm when dark clouds rolled in and dumped more than 30mm of rainfall in just one hour, about half the average for the whole of September.
Homes were deluged, shops like the Harvey Nichols department store were closed and the entire Metrolink system came to a shuddering half when lightning knocked out two electricity sub-stations.
Market Street in Manchester city centre was awash.
Manchester City’s Champions League match against Borrusia Monchengladbach had to be called off just before the kick-off as the pitch inside the Etihad stadium was flooded and roads around the ground were treacherous.
Dozens of flights in and out of Manchester Airport were delayed while two in-bound flights had to be diverted to airports in the midlands.
The storm affected part of Stockport worst, with the village of Bramhall being submerged in water.
Firefighters were called to 106 reports of flooding in just 90 minutes at the height of the storm, in many cases working to isolate to the electricity supply to ensure householders’ safety.
The firefighters’ busy evening dealing with weather-related incidents started at 6.24pm when B&Q on Kingsway in Manchester was flooded.
At 6.27pm firefighters were sent to Winchester Drive in Heaton Norris, Stockport, where water affected the electrics.
At the same time another fire engine was scrambled to Crossley Road in Stockport where a woman and a boy were trapped in a car which was stranded in the middle of flood water under a railway bridge.
The mum and child managed to scramble out of the vehicle before they were looked over by paramedics.
At 6.29pm the fire service sent one of its crews to Buckingham Road West in Heaton Morris, Stockport, after flood water gone into a garage.
At the same time another engine was called to Heaton Road in Manchester where the water had forced its way into a property and again affected the power supply.
Firefighters were also scrambled to Queens Road in Cheadle Hulme where flooding had affected a vetinary practice
At 6.30pm a fire engine was sent to Bright Eyes Child Care Nursery on Demesne Road in Manchester where water had affected the electrics.
A few minutes later they went to Broadway in Bramhall, Stockport, where again the water had affected power to the property. Firemen were sent to a report of flooding in Alness Road in Manchester by 7.14pm.
At 7.36pm the fire service sent at crew to The Village Hotel Club and Restaurant on Captain Clarke Road in Hyde.
Scores of tram passengers were left stranded in the city centre after lightening struck three of Metrolink’s sub-stations, resulting in all services being suspended.
The disruption lasted well into the evening with services cancelled on the Bury and Altrincham line plus a reduced service running on the East Didsbury line due to flooding.
Rail networks were also left in disarray with many trains delayed until 10pm due to the weather.
Many commuters complained of being stranded in the city centre for the evening.
Cara Nuttall wrote: “Sooo... Stranded in an insane thunderstorm, soaked with no coat, umbrella or plan.#manchester public transport is in meltdown and no cabs.”
Roads were affected too with many impassable for cars due to flooding.
Several drivers were forced to abandon their vehicles on Salmon Fields in Royton while Bramhall high street was left with floods at least 1ft deep.
Source

Freakishly intense lightning storm seen across Cornwall (14/09/2016)

A dramatic display of intense lightning rolled its way across Cornwall in early hours of this morning.
There was a prolonged period of rolling flashes from around 3.30am for at least 40 minutes. For at least 10 minutes of that time, the lightning was a rolling cascade of strikes more than every 10 seconds in a continuous and awe-inspiring display.
The storm was accompanied by another intense downpour of rain, measuring 32mm in just 15 minutes according to the fire service. The Met Office has issued a red flood warning, meaning flooding is expected, at Portreath Stream in Portreath and also warnings of possible flooding along all rivers in West Cornwall.
Despite the early hour, many people commented on how they had never seen anything like the lightning before. Comments came pouring in (excuse the pun) from across Cornwall by people awoken by the thunderous din.
Read more at http://www.westbriton.co.uk/freakishly-intense-lightning-storm-seen-across-cornwall/story-29714060-detail/story.html#oA8u5OQA4m91hoor.99Source

Lightening May Have Caused Fires Burning on Thassos Island; Two Villages Evacuated (13/9/2016)

Four fires have sparked since dawn on the Greek island of Thassos.
The blazes in the early morning caused the immediate evacuation of the entire vicinity and villages of Prinos Kazaviti and St. Panteleimon by the fire department and the municipality of Thassos.
The initial belief of the cause of the fire is lightning which struck in the four areas of Rachoni, Prinos, Alikes and Limenaria.
The fires broke out at very close intervals of time, almost simultaneously, as firefighters left Kavala and Eleftheroupoli early in the morning for Thassos in an operation with 106 firefighters with 37 vehicles and 53 hikers.
There is fear that the fire may continue spreading as firefighting services of Eastern Macedonia and the Thrace region are in constant contact with the Secretary General for Civil Protection to ensure they will be able to mobilize quickly if more fires breakout.
Source

According to police reports, on Friday night officers found a car with a 30-year-old man inside who had been killed by floodwaters in Xylokastro.
The man was apparently trying to cross a stream just a few kilometers from this house when his vehicle was swept up in the flood waters.
The car was initially spotted in Vrysoules and later in the evening the remains of the 30-year-old were located in Kamari, some 16 kilometers.
The latest spell of bad weather saw rapid rainfall lasting more than 2.5 hours, resulting in floods damaging of homes and streets as well as rivers overflowing in the area.
There is no further information at this time regarding the victim.
- See more at: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2016/09/10/severe-weather-in-greece-claims-fifth-victim-in-xylokastro-video/#sthash.aGU3fF7f.dpufSource

Kalamata, Greece: Three dead due to severe weather conditions (7/9/2016)

The severe weather conditions in the country have resulted in three deaths in Kalamata in the past 24 hours.
According to the Mayor of Kalamata the water levels in the city rose to about 2 meters. One 63-year-old woman from the village of Pidimita died in her home as rescue services did not reach her in time.
The Mayor also reported that an 80-year-old man from Thouria has died, along with another person whose identity has yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, a 60-year-old woman from Nea Michaniona in Thessaloniki has been reported as missing.Source

Over 10000 lightning strikes over the Ionian Sea on Tuesday, 6/9/2016

Over 10000 flashes were recorder yesterday (6/9/2016) in the Ionian Sea and the western coasts of Greece. Significant amounts of rain were also recorded in many Greek areas, while reports about 3 deaths due to floods exist.Source

Storm surges pushed by Hermine, the hurricane-turned tropical storm that on Sunday was moving up the US eastern seaboard, could be even more damaging than previous such surges because sea levels have risen by a foot due to global warming, climate scientists said.
Tropical Storm Hermine: rains intensify along mid-Atlantic coastline
Read more
Michael Mann of the Pennsylvania State University noted that this century’s one-foot sea-level rise in New York City meant 25 more square miles flooded during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, causing billions more in damage.
“We are already experiencing more and more flooding due to climate change in every storm,” said Michael Oppenheimer, a geosciences professor at Princeton University. “And it’s only the beginning.”
Overnight, the center of the storm moved further east and away from the coast than previously forecast, said Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC), in a webcast.
“That’s good news, but this is not over yet because we still are forecasting it to slow down and meander generally northward,” Knabb said, adding that “we think it could become hurricane force again” as the storm was likely to strengthen as it moves over warm water.
The NHC maintained its tropical storm watch for Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket and said dangerous storm surges would continue along the coast from Virginia to New Jersey.
“The combination of a storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” it said in a morning advisory.
Authorities up and down the coast ordered swimmers and surfers to stay out of treacherous waters on the Labor Day holiday weekend, when many Americans celebrate the end of summer. Projections showed the outer reaches of the storm could sweep the coastlines of Rhode Island or Massachusetts later in the week.
Hermine rose over the Gulf of Mexico and hit Florida on Friday as a category one hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm across Georgia, packing sustained winds of up to 65mph.
At 11am on Sunday, top sustained winds were 70mph as the storm moved east-northeast at 10mph. The storm was centered about 301 miles east-south-east of Ocean City, Maryland. Forecasters expected winds to return to hurricane force of more than 74mph by Sunday evening.
“It’s going to sit offshore and it is going to be a tremendous coastal event with a dangerous storm surge and lots of larger waves probably causing significant beach erosion, for the next few days,” said senior NHC hurricane specialist Daniel Brown.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said a tropical storm warning remained in effect for New Jersey and Delaware, including Rehoboth Beach, which could experience wind gusts of up to 50mph and life-threatening storm surges during high tide late on Sunday and into Monday.
Virginia Beach also remained under a tropical storm warning, with the NWS saying large and breaking waves and dangerous rip currents would pose a threat to anyone who entered the surf. No significant rainfall was expected for the area, although scattered rain may occur in southern New England and in the mid-Atlantic states.
In New Jersey, tropical storm-force winds could whip up on Labor Day. Governor Chris Christie warned that minor to moderate flooding was likely in coastal areas and said the storm would cause major problems.
“Don’t be lulled by the nice weather,” Christie said, referring to the bright sunny skies along the Jersey Shore on Sunday afternoon. “Don’t think that nothing is going to happen, because something is going to happen …
“The eastern track means a less severe impact, but you’re still going to see beach erosion, storm surges and dangerous rip currents. There will be impact from this storm.”
On Friday and Saturday, Hermine caused two deaths, damaged properties, closed beaches as far north as New York and left hundreds of thousands without electricity from Florida to Virginia. Dominion Virginia Power said crews were working to restore power to about 5,000 people in North Carolina and 1,500 in south-east Virginia. The company expected service to be restored by 5pm on Monday.
The Florida division of emergency management said on Twitter on Sunday that nearly 80,000 people were still without electricity. Emergency managers said the Anclote River north-west of Tampa was forecast to go well into major flood stage on Sunday afternoon and issued mandatory evacuations for some low-lying mobile home parks and apartment buildings.Source

Footbal player struck by lightning in Greece on Thursday, September 1, 2016

A 27 year old football player was hospitalized in the Karditsa (Greece) hospital after being struck by lightning in the afternoon of Thursday, September 1, 2016. According to unconfirmed information he was training in the field when he was struck. At the moment he is in critical condition in the ER. Source

Deaths From Lightning Strikes in US at Highest Since 2010 (30/8/2016)

The number of deaths from lightning-related accidents in 2016 rose to 29. It is the highest amount of deaths from lightning strikes since 2010, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Source

Jagged bolts of lightning lit up the night sky at a windfarm near Sieversdorf in eastern Germany.
And a wind turbine caught fire further west in Isselburg near the Dutch border.
Investigators are trying to establish whether the fire was triggered by a lightning storm.Source

323 reindeer killed by lightning in Norway (29/8/2016)

Lightning is thought to have caused the death of 323 reindeer that were discovered by a hunting warden in a small area south of Hardangervidda over the weekend.
An official from the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate (Statens naturoppsyn - NNI) was on a routine inspection on Friday when he walked into an area where dead reindeer were lying close together on the ground.Source

An unusual high activity of lightning has been recorded in Northern Greece on Monday, when a wet weather front hit the area.
“More than 25,000 lightning struck Northern Greece within 12 hours, from Monday (22/8/2016) afternoon to midnight,” Michalis Sioutas, meteorologist at the airport Macedonia in Thessaloniki, claimed adding that “17,000 alone struck the central and western Macedonia.”
According to data obtained from detectors recording thunder and lightning, the most lightning fell in the prefectures of Pella, parts of Imathia, in Florina and Kozani, western Macedonia.
“The unusually high lightning activity is due to the great atmospheric heights where the storms occur. To this added was the high temperatures of the recent days, thus creating conditions of increased atmospheric instability,” Sioutas told Athens News Agency.
One of these lightning hit a two-story home in the village of Perdika, Ptolemaida and set it on fire. Firefighters managed to extinguished the fire that caused material damage.Source

Tropical Storm Fiona forms in eastern Atlantic (18/8/2016)

The sixth named storm of Atlantic hurricane season, Fiona, developed late Wednesday afternoon in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
The storm doesn't pose a threat to land yet, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center in Miami. As of a 5 p.m., the center of Fiona was located 920 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. It was moving northwest at 16 mph.
Forecasts through Monday show that the storm is projected to move west-northwest toward the central Atlantic Ocean, according to the hurricane center. It's too early to determine the storm's path after Monday.
A tropical storm is the stage just before a hurricane develops. Sustained winds associated with the storm, which are currently 40 mph at the storm's center, would need to be 65 mph to be categorized as a hurricane.
"The storm poses no threat to the Caribbean or any land at all through at least Monday, and likely well beyond," said New Jersey State Climatologist David Robinson. "At this point, it's uncertain, but storms taking this initial track oftentimes just head right up through the North Atlantic. Maybe the greatest threat will turn out to be New Finland.
"As usual, people need to keep an eye on it," he said.Source

2016 lightning death toll in USA already as high as all of 2015, NOAA says (17/8/2016)

Through the first 8 1/2 months of 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there have already been as many deaths caused by lightning as there were in all of 2015.
NOAA's records show 27 people have been killed by lightning in the United States this year, which matches last year's 12-month total. Already, it's the deadliest year since 2012, and just four deaths shy of the 10-year average of 31 fatalities.
If the current pace continues, there would be 43 lightning deaths in the U.S. this year, the highest toll since 45 and 48 fatalities were reported in 2007 and 2006, respectively.Source